arcplan Corporate Communication

arcplan Engage brings business intelligence data to all users with search and Web 2.0 concepts

Langenfeld/Berwyn, March 15, 2011 - arcplan, a global leader in innovative business intelligence solutions, today announced the launch of arcplan Enterprise 7 and arcplan Engage. arcplan Enterprise 7 introduces various enhancements to this popular BI platform that allows users to build tailored applications for reporting and analysis. arcplan Engage is a new solution which provides valuable business intelligence information to all users in a company. By utilizing Web 2.0 functions such as tagging and commenting as well as a powerful search function, arcplan Engage enables easier access to corporate data, which in turn improves and speeds up decision-making. arcplan Engage makes new concepts of communication, collaboration and knowledge-sharing available to everyone within the enterprise.

arcplan Enterprise 7 is a new version of arcplan’s successful business intelligence platform for organizations that need to include different data sources in their reports, dashboards, scorecards, ad-hoc analyses, and forecasts. With more than 20 data connectors, the platform integrates analytical solutions on top of every data source, from SAP to Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, and others. With the ability to run queries against data warehouses and operational databases at the same time, arcplan Enterprise also improves efficiency and transparency.

arcplan Enterprise 7 features an integrated server-based user management, providing a solid foundation for multi-tenancy implementations as well as central – not application-based – access control, building the foundation for the growing need of BI governance. The arcplan Application Server also utilizes the user information to provide secure In-Memory query acceleration, re-using detail query data only for users with the appropriate authorization – which differentiates this solution from others in the industry. HTML-based animated charting was added as a user interface enhancement to improve the appearance of data within the system, providing a consistent presentation option for desktop solutions and mobile devices that do not support Flash. arcplan Enterprise 7 also comes with several new features that make it the most flexible business intelligence experience: improved support for Essbase MDX and a mobile BI offering, which allows arcplan applications to be run on any smartphone. It also allows application designer to implement password protection that offers new ways to securely share applications with 3rd parties. Companies such as Warema, ThyssenKrupp and Hailo were engaged in the beta program for arcplan Enterprise 7.

“Organizations are deploying more and more data sources for different functions”, said Roland Hölscher, CTO at arcplan. “The integration of various data sources is becoming one of the most important criteria when choosing a business intelligence platform. With arcplan Enterprise 7, we integrate enhanced security functions, server-based user management and more query flexibility into the leading third-party front-end solution for SAP BW, Oracle Essbase and IBM Cognos TM1.”

arcplan Engage allows users to tap the information wealth available at their organization with easy-to-use search functions. Users can share comments and rate the dashboards, reports, and other context-relevant information made available within the company’s IT systems. “Business Intelligence was originally designed to provide information to privileged groups of users, such as managers, analysts and C-level executives”, said Hölscher. “With traditional BI solutions, other groups of users could hardly be involved because of the variety and complexity of needs and preferences. With the Web 2.0 functions of arcplan Engage and the easy accessibility of corporate data sources, we aim to engage everyone in corporate decision-making.”

arcplan Engage comes with a core server to quickly find and integrate data from diverse sources and provide access to structured information such as reports and dashboard applications, and unstructured data within content management or e-mail systems, with little or no IT involvement. The front-end to the information consumer is a simple web-browser interface that publishes the information and augments it with additional content, including the ability to add comments, tags, and ratings. The search interface is complemented by features that will be familiar for any web-savvy user: recommendations, bookmarks, RSS, and individual user widgets.

arcplan Enterprise 7 and arcplan Engage will be officially launched at arcplan’s annual user forum, arc|planet, in Düsseldorf/Kaarst, Germany from March 31 to April 1. During the event, participants will see arcplan’s latest product developments and the innovative BI solutions that have been built with arcplan software.

About arcplan

arcplan is a leader in innovative Business Intelligence, Dashboard, Corporate Performance and Planning software solutions for desktop and mobile use. Since 1993, arcplan has enabled more than 3,000 customers worldwide to leverage their existing infrastructure and achieve organizational efficiency through the powerful combination of analysis, insight and collaboration. Simply put: We make organizations perform better. Get more information at www.arcplan.com.